Whether it was a misguided administration building, parking ramp, secretive task force meetings or potholes, Stehly was the first, once again;
But the safety of doing so is in question amid the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s why Mayor Paul TenHaken, all eight city councilors and the City Clerk are urging Gov. Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Steve Barnett to take emergency action to postpone the April 14 election.
Theresa had been asking for at least a couple of weeks to postpone the city elections across the state while her colleagues on the council (not Starr or Brekke who have bee supportive of Stehly’s idea) have been ignoring her.
So after Starr and Cameraman Bruce organize a drive-thru absentee ballot sign up over the past two days (as I understand was very safe, with no crowded lines with people remaining in their cars) all of a sudden the rest of the council has a change of heart.
Once again Stehly was ahead of the curve on this and the rest of the city council had no choice but to follow suit. Which proves once again why she needs to be reelected.
What makes this even more egregious is that this letter wasn’t supposed to go out until after Tuesday’s Health Board decision comes out, but somehow got leaked onto FB by Erickson and then to her little slimeball friend up north. Funny how that works?
Speaking of the health board, now our great leader of the city is leaving it up to them and ultimately the city council to make the difficult decision to mandate restaurants and bars be closed, which will only domino into most non-essential businesses being closed.
While I have argued for a long time that the city council doesn’t really do squat, thank GOD we have them now to make the critical decisions that the mayor’s office cannot apparently make, or willing to make.
Mayor TenHaken could make a solid legal case for shutting down the public health threat those barhoppers pose to all of us.
This will give him more time to hand out board games to the quarantined and drive around SF taking pictures of bars’ parking lots. Sorry Paul, while being ‘Positive’ during a crisis is a good suggestion and all, it doesn’t pay the rent or cure the sick. We used to have this saying in the restaurant business when a customer would give you a glowing compliment than leave NO tip; You can’t buy groceries with a compliment.
But one more thing, the City Council also needs to mandate that the Events Center, Convention Center and Arena’s floor space be dedicated for a temporary health care facility/shelter if needed. They DO have the power to do that considering the taxpayers own those facilities. We may just make the Denty useful after all.
We also need to work with the local grocers and food banks to have a safe system to hand out food to those who need it. People soon will be unable to safely go in person to the grocery stores, even if they have the money. This hysteria could lead to looting, we don’t want to go there. We need a plan NOW on how we are going to handle food shortages.
I’m thinking the 2 unused floors of the new admin building could be used for health care quarantine for the virus. Postponing the election is a good idea. No matter when it happens I’ll be voting. This time I hope they don’t hide the polling places and leave the ballots unattended overnight.
Typical M.O. of these other Councilors. I see Neitzert has even put out a post saying how exhausted he is from the events of the last 48 hours.
Let’s hope common sense prevails in both the decision to move the election date and with the meeting with The Board of Health. What’s it going to take for people to wake up and use the social distancing. It’s temporary and will hopefully help with the testing results.
Drive through ballots!!!! Unbelievably great idea.
Thank you Bruce and Pat.
Our City clerk is still moving forward with the April 14 election. He announced today that there is an urgent need for replacement/backup poll workers. We need our Governor & legislators to act now so we can put the election aside and can focus all our energy on the needs of the people.
This quarantine thing is lonely. I found my soccer ball, smeared a face on it, and named it ‘Wilson’.
It amazes me when we catch the flu every year that kills people we dont use these social distance methods and hand washing and limiting people in public places and we have have the flu we dont but out the store of toliet paper. This is just another virus this has gotten out of hand and government making the citizens paranoid . Lord have mercy help us
I am not sure why you people have to insult and personally attack people to make your points. Put yourselves in the shoes of each one of those 8 Councilors and lets see you make the tough choices week in and week out. You will NEVER please people. I known from owning a business. You may please 5 people, but 10 people are always going to think they got a raw deal.
– You want the Council or State to move our elections.
– You want the Mayor to shutdown businesses.
– You want Federal Govt to pay you $1,000 a month.
IT seems people want to hurt the very people who create jobs. It seems you are never happy with someone until they vote in your favor. Newsflash – Not even I agree with the COUNCIL on all issues, I tell them so, But unlike some of you – I attempt to have a good dialogue in a respective manner, without the need to INSULT, ATTACK, or CALL NAMES.
You people are attacking the Mayor cause he does NOT want to shutdown businesses. FOLKS – he knows how we feel, he owned a business for years, so he knows what ‘we’ businesses are going thru. He also knows those BUSINESSES create the jobs, the tax revenue, and they INVEST in Infrastructure, Land, and Facilities. All of which generate a strong ECONOMY.
STOP this childish behavor, and place yourselves in the Mayor’s Shoes, where he has to listen to 190,000 screaming people, all asking for this, and for that. Who will he listen to? Surely not the ones whom calls him a slur. But even I know – with each decision, You cant please everyone.
Mike Zitterich
I suppose we could do as you suggest and allow people to continue to go to work which would save the economy in the short term, but once all those workers get infected and than infect their families there will be no workers in the long term. I don’t think requiring folks to stay home for 3-4 weeks is going to crush our economy, it will hurt, but once we bend that curve we can ALL go back to work, healthy.
I just watched the Mayor’s daily press conference (Tues, 10 am).
I AM AN ANGRY CITIZEN.
It is way past time for our mayor to step up to the plate and STOP the ‘POOR ME’ talk! Show some leadership, follow the guidelines issued by the Governor yesterday and mandate businesses be shut down. The mayor of Rapid City has already taken this action AND HE DID NOT PASS THE BUCK TO HIS BOARD OF HEALTH TO MAKE THAT DECISION!!
There is documented ‘community spread’ in three SD counties, we are kidding ourselves here in Minnehaha County IF we think community spread is not already happening here.
I am in my late 60’s with underlying health conditions, I have done the responsible thing and been self-quarantined since March 11th. Thank you to those local business owners who have had the courage to do the RIGHT thing and closed their businesses in order to protect their employees and customers.
I want to know which businesses are the BAD ACTORS. I will never patronize their establishments again.
In addition, Paul Ten Haken, I will remember your lack of leadership to protect my community during a global pandemic!
Republicans hate government, but when government is the answer, they don’t know what to do. They are like an emperor without any cloths.